Venting device



y 1942- G. w. KOHLMEYER 2,290,438

\VENTING DEVICE Filed June 19,. 1941 I Z6" ny mjkmvamon M ATTORNEYS Patented July 21, 1942 UiTED STATES OFFICE VENTING DEVICE Application June 19, 1941, Serial No. 338,800

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a venting device for use in connection with the plumbing of a building in order to prevent contamination of the water supply by backward suction of water due to the vacuum produced in one part of the system while withdrawing water from another part of the system, similar to that shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 304,987 filed Nov. 17, 1939.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of the venting device and so organize the same that the buoyant valve member will not be rotated by the action of the incoming water and thus permitted to properly engage the seat of the vent opening and prevent backward suction from the contaminated water to the supply of the uncontaminated water supply line.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary vertical section of a water closet tank equipped with this improved venting device.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section of the same taken on line 22, Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections on an enlarged scale, taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 1.

In the following description similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Although this venting device may be used in connection with various plumbing fixtures for preventing backward suction of water from one part of the system to another the same is shown in the present case, as an example of its uses, in connection with a water closet system in which the numeral [0 represents the tank of the water closet which is adapted to receive and store water for use in flushing the bowl of the water closet.

The water is supplied to this tank under pressure by a supply pipe II which passes upwardly through the bottom of the tank and terminates at its upper outlet end adjacent to the normal water level therein. At its outlet the water supply pipe is provided with a control valve mechanism 12 of any suitable construction and which is operatively connected with a float l3 so that when the water rises to the highest predetermined level in the tank the float upon being raised by the water will cause the control valve mechanism l2 to be closed and stop the further admission of water into the tank and when the water is discharged from the tank the float descends with the lowering level of the same and causes the control valve mechanism to open and replenish the water in the tank. The water outlet IA of the control valve mechanism may be regulated by regulating valve l5 which is movable relatively to a seat It surrounding said outlet, as shown in Fig. l.

The numeral l! represents an upright hush tube forming part of the conduit whereby the water is conducted from the outlet of the control valve mechanism to the lower part of the tank and causes the water to be discharged into the latter without producing any appreciable noise.

The venting device forming the subject of this invention is interposed between the outlet of the control valve mechanism and the upper end of the hush tube and in its preferred form, as shown in the drawing, is constructed as follows:

The numeral l8 represents the body of a vent valve which contains a' venting chamber I9 and is provided in its bottom with a water inlet 2b which is connected with the water outlet Hi of the control valve mechanism, a water outlet 2| in one part of its side wall adjacent to the top of the chamber and connected with the upper end of the hush tube l1 and a vent opening 22 at the top of the chamber leading to the atmosphere.

Within the vent opening is arranged a screw plug 23 upon which is mounted a rubber ring which provides an annular inwardly facing vent valve 24 around the vent opening. Above the vent opening is arranged a deflector 25 which is mounted by posts 26 on the screw plug and causes any water which may pass from the venting chamber through the vent opening to be directed laterally into the tank.

Within the venting chamber is arranged a valve member 2'! which is adapted to control the vent opening 22 and which is buoyant and preferably of spherical form. When the venting chamber is filled with waterthe buoyant vent valve member 21 is raised by thewater so as to engage the valve seat 24 and thereby close the vent opening 22, whereby the water entering the venting chamber through the water inlet 20 in the bottom thereof will be discharged through the Water outlet 2|. in the side thereof and into the hush tube for replenishing the tank preparatory to the next operation of flushing the closet. When the tank has been filled to the requisite level the float l3 closes the water supply valve 12 and the level ofthe water in the venting chamber drops, whereby the buoyant valve member descends out of engagement with the vent valve seat 24 and uncovers the vent opening 22. While the vent valve member is in the lowered position external air is permitted to enter the venting chamber, thereby preventing the formation of a vacuum in this chamber in the event of a backward suction through the water supply pipe, whereby water is prevented from being drawn from the tank through the hush tube I! into the supply pipe H and contamination of water in the latter by mixture therewith of contaminated water in the tank is avoided.

In order to prevent the spherical vent valve member 27 when in its lowered position from closing the water inlet 2!! of the vent chamber and interfering with the entrance of water into the venting chamber and also to aid in causing the buoyant vent valve member to close the vent opening 22 promptly, a stop or limiting bar 28 is arranged horizontally in the venting chamber above the water inlet 29 so as to extend diametrically across the same and is attached at its opposite ends to the adjacent parts of the side wall of the venting chamber, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

By this means this bar 28 acts as a stop upon which the spherical valve member 21 rests while in its lowermost position, as shown by full lines in Fig. l, and'thus permits the water to enter the venting chamber freely and ensure quick fill-- ing of the tank. When the spherical valve member is in its lowermost position the bar 28 engages with the central part of the underside of the spherical valve member and forms two passages 29, 29 between opposite sides of this bar and adjacent parts of the venting chamber, whereby the water entering this chamber is divided into two streams which engage with the underside of the spherical valve member on opposite sides of its center and thereby cause the valve member to be lifted promptly into engagement with the seat 24 and close the vent opening 22 so as to ensure noiseless delivery of the incoming water through the hush tube I? to the lower part of the water in the tank.

It has been found by actual experience that, if the pressure of water coming into the venting chamber is slightly greater on one side of the bar 28 than on the other, the spherical valve member is liable to be rotated and either fail to engage the valve seat 24 or else engage the same imperfectly and thus interfere with the proper delivery of water into the tank and also produce a noise due to the whirling of the spherical valve member as the incoming water acts on the same. In order to overcome this objection two baflles 38 having preferably the form of horizontal ribs are arranged within the venting chamber about midway of the height of the same and on opposite sides of the spherical valve member when the latter is in its lowered position. These baffies are substantially parallel with the stop bar 28 and are attached at their outer edges to the adjacent wall parts of the venting chamber and project inwardly therefrom so that the inner edges of these baffles are arranged close to the horizontally opposite sides of the center of the spherical valve member when the latter is in its lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 1.

As the water enters the inlet 20 in the bottom of the venting chamber it is first divided by the stop bar 28 into two streams which are deflected outwardly by the same and during their continued upward movement these streams are intercepted by the bailie ribs 39 and directed inwardly, thereby producing a turbulence in the water which prevents the same from acting to any greater extent on .one .part of the spherical valve member than on another, whereby rotation or whirling of thespherical valvemember is prevented and instead this valve member is maintained in a non-rotating state and liftedpromptly into its uppermost position into engagement with the vent valve seat 24 for closing the vent opening, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and causing the tank to be filled quickly with water without creating any appreciable noise.

In the preferred construction the opposite side edges of the stop bar are of concave form and the inner edge of each of the b-afiie ribs is also of concave form thereby causing the streams of water passing upwardly on opposite sides of the spherical valve member to conform to the shape of this valve and aid in promptly lifting the same and avoid the tendency to rotate the valve which otherwise would interfere with the proper closing of the vent opening by this valve member.

I claim as my invention:

1. A venting device comprising a valve body having a valve chamber, a water inlet at its bottom, a water outlet at its side adjacent to the top of the chamber, and a vent opening in the top of the chamber; a valve seat surrounding said vent opening and facing downwardly toward said chamber, ,a spherical buoyant valve member arranged in said chamber and movable vertically toward and from said seat for closing and opening said vent opening, a horizontal stop bar for limiting the downward movement of said valve member arranged in the chamber below the valve member and diametrically across the axis of the vertical movement of the same and supported at its opposite ends on the wall of said chamber and dividing the space within the lower part of said chamber into two passages which divide the stream of water entering through said water inlet and direct them along opposite sides of said valve member, and two horizontal rib shaped baffles arranged within the valve chamber above the stop bar and parallel therewith and having their inner edges arranged on horizontally opposite sides of the valve member while the latter is in its lowered position and having their outer edges connected with the adjacent wall parts of the valve body.

2. A venting device comprising a valve body having a valve chamber, a water inlet at its bottom, a water outlet at its side adjacent to the top of the chamber, and a vent opening in the top of the chamber, .a valve seat surrounding said vent opening and facing downwardly toward said chamber, a spherical buoyant valve member arranged in said chamber and movable vertically toward and from said seat for closing and opening said vent opening, a horizontal stop bar for limiting the downward movement of said valve member arranged in the chamber below the valve memberand diametrically across the axisof the yertical movement of the same and supported at its opposite endson the wall of said chamber and dividing the space within the lower part of said chamber into two passages which divide the stream of water entering through-said water inlet and direct them along opposite sides of said valve member, and two horizontal rib shaped baffles arranged within the valve chamber above the stop bar and parallel therewith and having their inner edges arranged on horizontally opposite sides of the valve member while the latter is in its lowered position and having their outer edges connected .with the adjacent wall parts of the valve body, and said stop bar having each of its side edgesofconcave form and each of said baflle ribs having its inner edge of concave form.

GEORGE W. KOHLMEYER. 

